anthology

noun

an·​thol·​o·​gy an-ˈthä-lə-jē 

plural anthologies

1

: a collection of selected literary pieces or passages or works of art or music

an anthology of American poetry

2

: assortment

… an anthology of threadbare clichés of … bistro cuisine …

—Jay Jacobs

anthological

ˌan(t)-thə-ˈlä-ji-kəl 

adjective

Synonyms of anthology

• compilation

Examples of anthology in a Sentence

an anthology of American poetry

The band will be releasing an anthology of their earlier albums.

Recent Examples on the Web

The limited or anthology series field slipped to 31 from 33. —Michael Schneider, Variety, 12 June 2026

Not exactly anthology but hardly contiguous narrative, Koosha’s film works best as a kind of dispatch from a troubled moment, giving us human snippets to understand what can be an abstract violence. —Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2026

Among his other upcoming projects are Murphy's long-running anthology series American Horror Story. —Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026

As for the future of Love Story and what comes next in Murphy’s anthology, recent reports have suggested Hines is working on an installment about Liz Taylor and Richard Burton. —Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 10 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French & New Latin; French anthologie, going back to Middle French, borrowed from New Latin anthologia, borrowed from Greek anthología "gathering of flowers," from anthológos "flower-gathering" (from antho- antho- + -logos, nominal ablaut derivative of légein "to gather, collect") + -ia -ia entry 1 — more at legend

Note: The sense "collection of extracts" is found earlier in the parallel formation anthológion, attested in Byzantine Greek.

First Known Use

1624, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for anthology

• apology
• astrology
• biology
• christology
• chronology
• conchology
• cosmology
• cryptology
• cytology
• doxology
• ecology
• ethnology

Kids Definition

anthology

noun

an·​thol·​o·​gy an-ˈthäl-ə-jē 

plural anthologies

: a collection of literary pieces

anthologist

-jəst

noun